I assume he means for you to take the sauce pan off the heat when it's done simmering, and then let pears cool in the water before removing the pears and discarding the liquid. (This is what he says in the other recipes.)posted by oddman at 7:00 PM on September 30, 2011

As my wife and I say, "F'ing Bittman." (we don't actually say f'ing, but you get the point). How does this dude have something like 2,000 recipes under his belt when the people on Food Network are treading water to get barely an eighth of that put up?posted by Gilbert at 10:19 PM on September 30, 2011

A lot of Bittman's recipes aren't really what most people would consider recipes; they're more like "Cut up unspecified quantities of these vegetables; sprinkle with dill; serve." Of course, it's still impressive given that he spends most of his time as a food scold these days.posted by Ralston McTodd at 2:47 PM on October 1, 2011

I am going to have to try one of the braised fish recipes, though.posted by Ralston McTodd at 2:57 PM on October 1, 2011

Ralston McTodd, considering Paula Dean's recipe for peas with butter, or Rachel Ray's Late Night Bacon chef d'oeuvre, you must admit Bittman still comes off looking pretty talented by comparison.posted by IAmBroom at 3:27 PM on October 1, 2011

It seems like much of the point to an exercise like this is to show people how they can be creative with basic recipes, making a substitution or two that gives the result a totally different twist. I like this about Bittman. He's just a regular guy who likes making food and isn't afraid to experiment a little. He wants to show you that you could be that guy, too.posted by snofoam at 3:34 PM on October 1, 2011

I do think Bittman can be pretty good when he gets into a less minimalist mode; I particularly like his stuffed cabbage recipe.posted by Ralston McTodd at 4:45 PM on October 1, 2011

Unfortunately, no one can be told what the Dinner Party Matrix is. You have to see it for yourself.posted by xedrik at 7:42 PM on October 1, 2011

Tags

Share

About MetaFilter

MetaFilter is a weblog that anyone can contribute a link or a comment to. A typical weblog is one person posting their thoughts on the unique things they find on the web. This website exists to break down the barriers between people, to extend a weblog beyond just one person, and to foster discussion among its members.